Providing pro bono services becomes a passion for those who do it. The following are remarks from our newest bankruptcy judge in the Middle District of Florida, the Honorable Luis Rivera. You too can feel good about what you give back to the community in which you work. Please read Judge Rivera’s words and consider them an inspiration to taking a pro bono case.
The poet John Paul Caponigro once wrote, “Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become your actions, Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny.”
It is easy to make volunteering in the Middle District of Florida Bankruptcy Pro Se Clinic a habit by signing up for a recurring volunteer session. And I highly recommend you do so as soon as you finish reading this testimonial.
The Middle District Pro Se Clinic is a match-making program for pro se debtors and creditors alike—it connects volunteer attorneys with pro se parties for 30-minute phone or Zoom consultations. And it might even lead you to the love of your life—my bride, Kathleen DiSanto and I lived two hours apart, and she and I would often field clinic calls on our treks to see each other while we were dating. Kathleen and I made the decision to take the plunge and sign up for recurring volunteer sessions in the Clinic, and we have collectively assisted more than 200 clients in the clinic over the past three years. Sometimes, volunteering is as simple as listening to the client and sharing the basics of the bankruptcy process or directing them to resources. Other times, the client needs more substantive assistance, such as amending a chapter 13 plan or responding to a chapter 7 trustee’s objection to a claim of exemption. Volunteering in the clinic makes a meaningful difference in the life of the pro se client and is a wonderful opportunity to give back to our communities and provides a powerful reminder of how fortunate and blessed we all are.